Every time I go shopping for bric-a-brac at Amsterdam’s oldest flea market on Waterlooplein / Waterloo Square, I would always look up and wonder about this imposing two identical 30-meter-high towers corner building called Mozes en Aäronkerk / Moses and Aaron Church. It is unmistakably one of the iconic buildings around Waterlooplein!
When a chance presented itself on a random open day, I went in for a quick look.
It started in 1641 when a group of Franciscan priests went to the Jewish Neighborhood (Dutch: Joodenbuurt) and set up a clandestine church in a house (Dutch: schuilkerk) called the “Moyses”, at the back of the present church. In 1682, the house was joined by the neighbouring house “Aäron” church, followed by the dwelling behind it on the Houtgracht and another neighbouring property bought by an intermediary. By 1690, all these four properties were consolidated into a single block. The expansion of the church began and the entrance was moved. It became Sint-Anthoniuskerk dedicated to the church’s patron saint, St. Anthony of Padua, widely known as Mozes en Aäronkerk. But it remained hidden under the façade of the two gable houses until the early 19th century when the prohibitions against the Catholic Church were finally lifted.
The present building was built between 1837 and 1841 with financial support from the Dutch government as part of a scheme known as “Waterstaatkerk” (government-funded church). It was designed by the Flemish architect, Tilman-François Suys (1783–1861), in the style of neoclassicism, three aisled-hall, a recessed rectangular choir and temple portico resting on four Corinthian columns. Mozes en Aäronkerk was consecrated in 1841, raised to the rank of a parish in 1857.
The interior features a baroque main altar dating back to 1700, adapted from the original hidden church and some painted altarpieces by Jacob de Wit (1695-1887). Suys designed the two side altars in the same style and added new statues. The organ dates from 1871, designed by Charles-Marie Philbert using pipes supplied by the French organ builder, Cavaillé Coll. There are also fourteen wall reliefs of Stations of the Cross surrounding the hall. The richly carved 19th-century pulpit is quite a head turner! It was made by an Antwerp sculptor, Jean Baptiste de Cuyper (1809-1850). Unfortunately, no further information was available.
All in all, the church’s decor was a little modest than I expected.
Over time, the church attendance declined as the parishioners gradually moved to other parts of Amsterdam. The parish of Sint-Anthoniuskerk was eventually suppressed in 1969. It functioned as the assembly hall for cultural events and a safe place for asylum seekers.
In September 2014, after 34 years of church service absence, Mozes en Aäronkerk was re-consecrated as a Catholic church, entrusted to the Community of Sant’Egidio.
📍Waterlooplein 207. 1011 PG Amsterdam.
The Mozes en Aäronkerk is open every Thursday and Friday from 12pm to 4 pm for viewing and prayer.